The new London Museum at Smithfield opens on 28 November with four food and drink spaces, from Robin Gill’s all-day bistro to a Mr Lyan bar and a cocoa room open 24 hours at weekends.
Eating at the new London Museum: Robin Gill’s bistro, a Mr Lyan bar and a 24-hour cocoa room
The short version: when the new London Museum opens at Smithfield on 28 November 2026, it brings four places to eat and drink: Clerks House, an all-day bistro from chef Robin Gill; Bartholomew’s, a bar with drinks by Mr Lyan; the Temperance Cocoa Rooms, an alcohol-free café open 24 hours from Thursday to Sunday; and The Roost, a rotating street food space. They’re run by Green & Fortune.
Here’s what each one offers, cross-checked against three reports of the plans.
The London Museum’s food and drink at a glance
| Venue | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Clerks House | 140-seat all-day bistro by Robin Gill | Breakfast to dinner, Sunday roast |
| Bartholomew’s | Bar with drinks by Mr Lyan | After-work drinks, onto Farringdon Road |
| Temperance Cocoa Rooms | Alcohol-free café in restored 19th-century cocoa rooms | Hot chocolate, late nights |
| The Roost | Rotating street food residencies | Takeaway by day, 14 seats at night |
Clerks House: Robin Gill’s bistro
The flagship is a 140-cover, all-day dining room on the ground floor, with breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, weekend brunch and Sunday roasts. Robin Gill, the chef behind The Dairy and Darby’s, is curating the food across all four venues. Expect seasonal British cooking, a pie menu using meat from Green & Fortune’s own farms, plenty of UK-grown vegetables, and a wine list that changes weekly. One dish already revealed: a take on the Billingsgate sandwich, with hand-dived scallop, smoked bacon and scallop roe butter.
Bartholomew’s: the museum bar
Named after Bartholomew Fair, the summer fair held in Smithfield for more than 700 years, the bar opens onto Farringdon Road. Ryan Chetiyawardana, better known as Mr Lyan, has created a cocktail list inspired by the museum’s collections and exhibitions, alongside a draught London Museum lager and a seasonal shandy.
Temperance Cocoa Rooms: open 24 hours at weekends
During the renovation, the builders found the remains of a Lockhart’s Cocoa Rooms, one of the Victorian temperance cafés that offered an alternative to the pub. It’s been restored as an alcohol-free café serving hot chocolate, coffee, mocktails, pastries, sandwiches, toasties and soups, including a tamarind and date-spiced Chelsea bun. It’s open daily, and 24 hours from Thursday to Sunday, which makes it one of very few round-the-clock cafés in central London.
The Roost: street food incubator
The Roost hosts street food residencies that change every six months, as a place for new cooks to test their food. It works as a takeaway in the day and a 14-seat restaurant in the evening. The first residency hadn’t been announced when we checked.
Visiting the museum
The London Museum moves from its old site at London Wall to the former market buildings at West Smithfield, opening on 28 November 2026. See our full guide to the new London Museum. Farringdon (including the Elizabeth line) and Barbican are the nearest stations.
More food nearby
Smithfield and Farringdon are busy with new openings this autumn. See new restaurants in London this November and this month’s restaurant deals.
A short history: the cocoa rooms
Temperance cafés spread through Victorian London as an alternative to the pub, serving cocoa, coffee and cheap food to working people. Lockhart’s was one of the largest chains, with dozens of branches across the city. Finding one inside the Smithfield buildings gave the museum a ready-made story for its café, and the restored room is one of the more unusual places to get a hot chocolate in London.
Which one to choose
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| A proper sit-down meal or Sunday roast | Clerks House |
| A cocktail after work or after the museum | Bartholomew’s |
| Something warm late at night, without alcohol | Temperance Cocoa Rooms |
| A quick, cheap bite from a new cook | The Roost |
Getting there
- Farringdon (Elizabeth, Thameslink, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines) is the closest, a few minutes’ walk
- Barbican (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines) is also close
- St Paul’s (Central line) is about 10 minutes’ walk
Around Smithfield
- St Bartholomew-the-Great, one of London’s oldest churches, is next door
- Postman’s Park, with its memorial to everyday heroes, is a short walk south
- The Barbican and its conservatory are a few minutes north
The museum itself is free to enter. For other free days out, see our free museums in London guide.
Frequently asked questions
When does the London Museum open?
28 November 2026, at West Smithfield.
Is there a restaurant at the new London Museum?
Yes. Clerks House is a 140-seat all-day bistro with food curated by chef Robin Gill.
Who runs the bar at the London Museum?
Bartholomew’s, with a cocktail list created by Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana).
Is the London Museum café open 24 hours?
The Temperance Cocoa Rooms is open 24 hours from Thursday to Sunday.
Sources
- Hot Dinners: Robin Gill and Mr Lyan at the London Museum
- Time Out: London Museum food and drink
- Restaurant Online: Green & Fortune at the London Museum
Last checked: 3 November 2026.
Image: Jim Osley, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
